Maybe you thought it was computer animation or some other trickery, but those flying dots behind Lady Gaga were really there.

After the halftime show, the producers revealed that it involved hundreds of drones, validating a CNN report. In an article Saturday, the network said the use of the drones required special clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration, which has placed a ban on drones at or near the stadium.

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During the course of the show, the drones were used to illustrate the red v. blue divide as Lady Gaga began her musical montage with patriotic songs, then assembled themselves into the shape of the American flag. After her performance, the drones formed two Pepsi logos, and the Intel logo.